Colorado-Medical-Marijuana-Blog

Many users of medical marijuana in Colorado have had a growing concern regarding their personal information becoming public through state-maintained databases. This concern grew with the passing of legislation in 2010 assigning regulatory authority of medical marijuana centers, Infused Product Manufacturers and growers to the Colorado Department of Revenue. This legislation required the Colorado Department of Public Health to share limited, non personally identifying information to the DOR in order to verify the number of patients a marijuana center is serving as a provider. There is currently no such database which allows the two agencies to share information. Should this database be created, it will be intended for law officials to have access to verify whether individuals have a valid ID card. However, they can only access the system using information provided by the patient directly and no names or personal information will be shared.

While the list of approved medical conditions for the usage of medical marijuana is already quite large in its own right, many medical patients have been seeking to add new conditions to the list. The Colorado Department of Health has received many petitions to add the following debilitating medical conditions to is approved list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be recommended by a physician: asthma, atherosclerosis, Bipolar disorder, Crohn’s disease, diabetes mellitus; types 1 and 2, diabetic retinopathy, Hepatitis C, hypertension, methicillan-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), opiod dependence, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rheumatoid arthritis, severe anxiety & clinical depression and Tourette’s syndrome. As of yet, the Colorado Department of Public Health has not approved any of these conditions for the use of medical marijuana.

Tougher rules and restrictions regarding Colorado medical marijuana patients have now become directed at doctors in Colorado and which in particular, which doctors should be allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients. The Colorado Board of Health is aiming to make it clearer on how well doctors know their patients before recommending marijuana treatment and also question whether doctors with conditions on their licenses such as a surgeon being banned from surgery due to the development of arthritis should be allowed to recommend marijuana to their patients. These regulations are aimed at discouraging marijuana mills in which doctors recommend marijuana to new patients after only a brief visit. Approximately 1,300 people who applied for medical marijuana cards this last year were denied by the state due to their recommendations coming from doctors with license conditions.

Due to the rising demand for medical marijuana in Colorado over the past year, Colorado Medical Marijuana has added several locations to serve clients more efficiently. Colorado Medical Marijuana clients can obtain product at locations in Ft. Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Broomfield and Boulder north of Denver and Park Meadows/Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Lakewood south of Denver. Colorado Medical Marijuana’s downtown Denver location is also conveniently location for those living in the central metro area. Colorado Medical Marijuana strives to offer clients convenience as well as quality product at all locations as well as a knowledgeable, trained staff to assist with selection and questions. By expanding north to Ft. Collins, Colorado Medical Marijuana has been able to help clients who may be unable to drive down to central Denver for their medical marijuana needs.

As the controversy rages on about the legitimacy of Colorado medicinal marijuana, there is a significant demographic supporting the product; the patient. Opponents to Denver medical marijuana and Colorado marijuana dispensaries claim that the medical benefits are a sham used as a smoke screen to simply legalize a narcotic. A true patient would disagree. In an interview with a serious patient, some genuine medical benefits were unveiled. This patient, a male in his mid 40’s, was involved in a traffic accident; both his legs were mangled in the wreck. To him, Denver medical marijuana has provided him with an alternate pain killer. He also explained that the euphoric properties help with bouts of depression revolving around the pain and make his life experience more enjoyable in general. He complained that other prescribed pain killers were more addictive, less effective, and more expensive. To him, and thousands of similar patients, Colorado medicinal marijuana doctors have helped them find a new avenue for pain relief never before available. After listening to his story, one cannot help but realize the potential legitimacy of medicinal marijuana in Colorado.

Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, can be debilitating. For Colorado medical marijuana users, the answer is simple. Use of the drug in scientific studies has shown that the THC found in marijuana may help decreasechronic pain caused by Fibromyalgia. Other symptoms of the syndrome include hypoglycemia, insomnia, depression, fatigue, urinary complications and skin conditions. Through the use of medical marijuana, Colorado patients are able to effectively manage these other symptoms in addition to managing their pain. Marijuana creates a euphoric effect, which helps lift feelings of depression and is useful for managing insomnia as well. Currently undergoing THC therapy trials is a synthetic marijuana pills known as Nabilone, which has shown to greatly reduce pain and anxiety in Fibromyalgia patients. However, medical marijuana is currently the more cost effective of the two.